Russia and Ukraine

[Pat Mustard]

Look at history, pretty much everywhere shows that it's almost impossible for a foreign occupier to defeat a popular insurgency, from the Irish war of Independence (which my grandfather took part in, I've heard some stories), to the independence wars in south east Asia and Africa.

Family rumour has it that a couple of my cousins were involved in the Rising.

Boru

Well on my mother's side, her father was quartermaster for the mid Limerick brigade {a) a good choice because as his family had recently suffered a lot from TB the Brits wouldn't search around his house or land and b) my mother reckons there's still weapons hidden on the land [no longer in the family, long story]} and her mother was cousin to Séan Treacy. On my father's side, while his family had no direct involvement as far as we can know, his aunt did marry a brother of Eoin MacNeill, so I've plenty of history as far as Irish independence in the family.